The present invention concerns a device having a generator for producing low-frequency pulsed electrical currents and a transmitter coil connected to the generator, whereby the electromagnetic fields generated by the transmitter coil are used for applying pulses to an area of the body requiring treatment.
Devices of this kind are generally known from the literature and also from patent documents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,366 describes an electromagnetic apparatus and method for reducing the glucose level in blood serum using unipolar pulsed magnetic fields with a low pulse sequence frequency of between 5 and 75 Hz and an individual pulse duration of, for example, 350 microseconds. In this example, each individual pulse has a pulse tilt in order to guarantee a constant magnetic field for the whole duration of the individual pulse. This is monitored by means of a display which receives information from a measuring coil installed within the area of irradiation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,633 A1 deals with an electronic system for activating, influencing and/or modifying the development of cells, organs and the entire organism of living individuals. In accordance with this publication, unipolar square-wave pulses are used, which have a considerable edge steepness and a pulse sequence frequency between 1 and 120 Hz, and are applied to the area to be irradiated by means of an antenna. In this instance, a high frequency oscillation keying is superimposed over the individual pulses, whereby the oscillation frequency should be in the region of between 10 kHz and 100 MHz.
European publication 0 152 963 A2 describes an electrotherapeutical device which involves electrodes attached to the area of the body to be treated via which low frequency pulsed electrical oscillations are fed to the body tissue in order to generate electromagnetic fields. The device operates essentially in accordance with the Joule effect on tissue in combination with an alternating electromagnetic field.
German Patent 1 38 28 043 A1 describes a device for medical treatment for influencing the magnetic-energetic processes in living human or animal organisms, whereby the device has one or more inductance coils inside a flat, flexible pad which are operated by pulsating DC current. The pulsating DC current generates a low frequency pulsating magnetic field with a frequency between 15 and 20 Hz, for example.
European publication 0 266 907 A2 discloses an apparatus for irradiating a patient's body, in which apparatus a high frequency oscillation of, for example, 27 MHz is pulsed at a low frequency. The pulse frequency should be between 1 Hz and 10 kHz with an individual pulse duration between approximately 10 and 100 microseconds.
Finally, Swiss patent 675 970 A5 describes a device for treating living organisms using an intermittent, pulsating constant magnetic field. Pulse packages consisting of several individual pulses are emitted, whereby the amplitudes of the pulses in each pulse package may be constant, rising, falling or rising and falling.
All these devices and methods have in common that they are designed to influence biological processes by heating and/or electromagnetic irradiation.
Additionally, it is known that receptors referred to as baroreceptors are located in blood vessels in the region of the coronary circulation and the neck which baroreceptors assist the body in controlling blood pressure, and that it is possible to influence these baroreceptors using electromagnetic fields so that the blood circulatory system is activated. In this manner, it was also possible to widen the capillaries, thus leading to improved blood flow to the corresponding areas of the body. Baroreceptors are only located at certain points in the blood vessels, and, consequently, the possibilities of influencing them are somewhat limited.
As a result, an improvement in the supply to and drainage from certain vessels and areas of the body is only indirectly achieved due to a general improvement in the blood flow. It is not possible to influence the lymphatic system at all because it does not contain any baroreceptors.
In contrast to these examples, the purpose of the invention is to provide a device for transporting ions, in particular, protons in order to make possible a targeted effect of the ion concentrations in any area of the body of humans and animals as required.